Musical tricks fall flat on indifferent ears
Mayor campaign peps up

Where oratory fails, music is known to speak. No wonder melody has become the soul of mayoral campaign in Ranchi irrespective of whether it is music to the aam aadmi’s ears.

Ajsu-backed candidate Barsha Gadi is leading the jugalbandi in its peppy Bollywood avatar. Campaign vehicles of Gadi is trundling through thoroughfares of the capital blaring parodies of hit numbers from movies like Gunday and Ragini MMS 2.

There may be few genuine takers for Barsha Gadi mari entriyaan, sab ki baji ghantiyaan and Yeh duniya pittal di, Barsha baby sone di, but that isn’t stopping loyalists of the mayor hopeful to carry on their spirited campaign.

Supporters of all 14 candidates are using popular Bhojpuri and Nagpuri songs, besides Bollywood numbers, to reach out to voters and helping local music-makers mint money in the process.

BJP’s mayoral hopeful Asha Lakra is swearing by parodies of Bhojpuri songs like, Tu lagawelu jab lipstick, hilela Ara district, to woo home crowd. “For semi-literate and grassroots voters, such numbers are better than campaign speeches,” said Lakra who is hoping to give her rivals a wood-stiff competition with her almirah symbol.

While Ajit Oraon, another contender for the top civic post, has taken a flight of fancy on his aeroplane (symbol). He has roped in popular lyrists S.K. Prasad for Bhojpuri, Nagpuri and Hindi songs. “My lyrics are based on devotional songs like Kanwariyan ke bhid lage la,” said Prasad.